ing and ungodly, and stir them up to repentance toward God, and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. "The times of ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent; because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." "* Acts xvii. 30. LECTURE CXXXIII. LUKE XXIV. 13–27. "And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18. And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19. And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20. And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. 22. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23. And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." THE faculty of speech is very useful, and very ennobling. The Psalmist calls it "the glory" of man. It is the index of intelligence. It enables us, as it were, to enter into each other's souls; and it contributes, in an incalculable degree, to the improvement and happiness of the present life. But, right reason, so far from being confined in its exercise to perishing things, stretches its contemplations to the great Creator, and an unseen world; and it must surely be reasonable to employ the faculty of speech on those subjects on which reason itself is properly employed. If true wisdom consist in pursuing the best ends by the best means, what wisdom is equal to that of being wise for eternity? what exercise of speech so rational as that which agitates this momentous inquiry? Besides, as God is the author of this faculty, who is so well entitled to its acknowledgment? Observe, too, how men proceed in the affairs of common life. When a number of persons are exposed to some temporal danger, do they not consult each other as to the means of escape, and warn the unwary to flee? But, we are all exposed, by sin, to the wrath of God; and should we not commune together on the gracious method of deliverance, and thus remind one another to provide for our endless safety? If, again, a number of persons, who had all received a similar favour from some generous benefactor, met together, and made no mention of his kindness, who would hesitate to pronounce them ungrateful? Unspeakable is the gift God has bestowed on us; and shall we have nothing to say about the Father who gave, or the Son who was given? The advantages, too, which flow from attention to this duty form a cogent argument in its support. It increases knowledge in ourselves and others. "The lips of the wise," says Solomon, "disperse knowledge;” and, “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning." This also gives life and readiness to whatever knowledge men possess, and helps to stir up their languid graces. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." What reason thus approves, Scripture enjoins by precept and example. Moses said,* "These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." We are enjoined to "exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, lest any of us be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." David says, "My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, and of thy praise, all the day long." The queen of Sheba "communed with Solomon of all that was in her heart:"" he told her all her questions;" and she found that his wisdom exceeded the fame which she had heard. Jesus Christ, our perfect pattern, has left us many examples of this; indeed, a great portion of his time was employed in this familiar way of imparting instruction. Nicodemus, with the Witness his conversations with woman of Samaria, and with his * Deut. vi. 6. disciples on various occasions, both before and after his resurrection. What subjects are talked of by angels, appears from their words to Abraham, to Lot, to Daniel, to Zechariah, to Zacharias, to the Virgin Mary, to the shepherds of Bethlehem, to the women at Christ's sepulchre, to the witnesses of his ascension, and to the beloved disciple. What words are heard in heaven may be learned from the book of Revelation. It is also worthy of remark that when, on an extraordinary occasion, two of our race, who had already entered into heaven, again appeared on earth, redemption was the subject which employed their tongues. On the mount of transfiguration, "behold, there appeared unto Jesus two men talking with him, Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory, and spoke of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." As for the passage before us, it is just a beautiful and edifying example of the duty, and of the good effects, of religious conversation May the Lord bless to us our meditations on it at this time! "And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs." "Two of them," that is, two of the disciples. We are informed, in a subsequent verse, that one of them was Cleopas. It is generally allowed that this Cleopas was also called Alpheus, and that he was married to "the other Mary," and was the father of James the less, and Jude.* We are not told who was the other disciple; and conjecture would be useless. They 66 went," or were travelling, "that same day;" that is, on the day our Lord rose from the dead. They were going "to Emmaus." There was a place, altogether different from this, of the same name, which was afterwards called Nicopolis, and which lay at a much greater distance from Jerusalem. This village lay to the north of Jerusalem. It is worthy of being noticed that Josephus agrees exactly with Luke as to the distance, and "Emmaus is distant from Jerusalem sixty furlongs."† Sixty furlongs are equal to about seven miles and a half. We are not told what was the reason of their journey. Though true disciples, they were of weak faith and little light; it is, therefore, probable that they had left Jerusalem, and were retiring to their home, under the influence of fear and sorrow, doubt and partial unbelief. says, Weak and disconsolate, however, as they were, their conversation proved that the cause of Christ was still near * Compare Mark iii. 18, xv. 47; John xix. 25. † Wars, VII. vi. 6. their hearts. "And they talked together of all these things which had happened." They were conversing about the things which the evangelist has just related regarding the crucifixion of Christ, and about the report which had reached them of his resurrection. They were talking with deep interest on these subjects, as involving the fulfilment, or disappointment, of their fondest hopes. "And it came to pass that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them." While they were talking over the death of Jesus, and arguing as to the probability or improbability of his resurrection, he himself joined their company, as a traveller going the same way; and this he did with the gracious intention of clearing up their doubts, and re-assuring their hearts. His joining them thus may fairly be considered as a testimony of his approbation of the way in which they were employed at the time, and, of consequence, an encouragement to Christian intercourse and communing. His personal presence, it is true, is not to be expected now, for "him the heavens must receive" and retain, "till the time of the restitution of all things;" but his special and gracious spiritual presence may be looked for by all who engage in pious discourse. His presence, in this sense, is promised, whether the number uniting be great or small. His words are, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."-"I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you.” "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."-" We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." "But their eyes were holden, that they should not know him." Mark,* who only alludes to this part of the sacred history very briefly, says, "After that, he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country." It appears to me that, instead of making one of these modes of expression to bend to the other, the better way is to understand them both exactly in their natural sense, as intimating that the appearance of our Lord was somewhat different for the time, and also that the eyes of the two disciples were so far affected or restrained, that, from the two circumstances taken together, they could not recognise him. But, whatever way it may have been, so it was that they did not know him; and this * Mark xvi. 12. |